Body image and motivated reasoning are deeply intertwined. Negative body image can cause and maintain motivated reasoning, and motivated reasoning frequently worsens how we feel about our bodies.
How Negative Body Image Drives Motivated Reasoning
- Chronic dissatisfaction with physical appearance depletes psychological resources
- Body shame — a particularly painful form of shame — directly drives motivated reasoning
- Comparison of body to social standards is a primary motivated reasoning trigger
- Body image concerns often involve the same negative self-evaluation patterns as motivated reasoning
How Motivated Reasoning Affects Body Image
Motivated Reasoning can worsen body image through reduced self-care motivation, changes in appetite and weight, and a general negative lens that extends to physical self-perception.
Addressing Body Image and Motivated Reasoning Together
- Body neutrality: Not requiring positive body feelings, just reduction of hostility
- Body functionality focus: What your body does vs. how it looks
- Intuitive eating: Reconnecting with hunger and satisfaction cues disrupted by motivated reasoning
- Therapy: CBT and ACT effectively address both body image and motivated reasoning